Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. The medicine may also cause birth defects if it is used by the father when his sexual partner becomes pregnant. Men and women should use effective birth control during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose. Tell your doctor right away if pregnancy occurs while you are using this medicine.

Temsirolimus may cause serious types of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, swelling of the face, tongue, and throat, trouble breathing, or chest pain after the injection.

This medicine may cause flushing, headaches, and lightheadedness or faintness while you are receiving the injection or within 24 hours after you receive it. Check with your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms.

This medicine may increase the amount of sugar in your blood. Check with your doctor right away if you have increased thirst or urination. Diabetic patients should check their blood sugar more frequently with this medicine.

While you are being treated with temsirolimus, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. Temsirolimus may lower your body's resistance and the vaccine may not work as well or you might get the infection the vaccine is meant to prevent. In addition, you should not be around other persons living in your household who receive live virus vaccines because there is a chance they could pass the virus on to you. Some examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, influenza (nasal flu vaccine), poliovirus (oral form), rotavirus, and rubella. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

Temsirolimus may increase the risk of getting infections, including an infection called Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia or PJP. Try to avoid people with colds or other infections. If you think you are getting an infection, check with your doctor right away.

This medicine may cause a serious lung problem. Check with your doctor right away if you have tightness in the chest or difficulty with breathing.

Temsirolimus may increase your cholesterol and fats in the blood. If this occurs, your doctor may give you a medicine to lower the blood levels.

Check with your doctor right away if you start having severe abdominal or stomach burning, cramps, or pains, bloody or black, tarry stools, diarrhea, fever, nausea, or vomiting of material that looks like coffee grounds. These could be symptoms of a serious bowel problem.

This medicine may increase your chance of having acute kidney disease that is not related to your kidney cancer. Talk to your doctor about this risk.

This medicine may affect the way your body heals from cuts and wounds. Make sure any doctor who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine several weeks before and after having surgery.

Grapefruit juice may increase the effects of temsirolimus by increasing the amount of medicine in your blood. You should not drink grapefruit juice with this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's Wort) or vitamin supplements.